There are a number of reasons why the District will end up at Uxbridge
eventually (with the Picc going to Ealing Bdway?).
- The Piccadilly will benefit from the additional rolling stock, when
Terminal 5 opens. There is no new stock for many years yet.
- The platform to train heights will be "level/ step free" between
Rayners Lane and Uxbridge. As set out in the PPP Contract
- The ATO systems for Tube Lines and Metronet will be different, though
thinking about it now must be compatible for the North Ealing to Acton
Town section, unless as some have said the District runs to Ealing
Broadway.

The SSR will be different in that it will have new trains, new
signalling systems with 12 control/signalling locations being replaced
by one Command & Control centre, step free access to the trains,
changes to the lines.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6213384.stm


Colin McKenzie wrote:

sweek wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
sweek wrote:
It doesn't make much sense to make the longer line the slowest one here,
and the shorter (Ealing Broadway) line the express.

Surely Ealing Broadway would remain District too... the point of the plan is
to increase Picc frequency to Heathrow, and sending Picc trains to Ealing
Broadway would defeat the point of ceasing to serve Uxbridge.

Anyway, didn't they rebuild a Sudbury station or two to have platforms level
with the tube stock a few years ago?

Maybe, but District to Ealing Broadway AND Uxbridge is the only
solution that could eliminate all platforms served by trains of both
sizes. Without this change, level wheelchair access cannot be achieved
at Ealing Common or between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.

You need less trains for an Ealing Broadway picc. branch than an
Uxbridge picc. branch. Those extra trains could go towards the
increased Heathrow frequency.
I don't think complicating the District line even more is ever a good
idea.

Arguably, when Crossrail is built, Ealing Broadway won't need both
District and Central trains to central London. The capacity might be
better used to create north-south links to Richmond and Uxbridge,
Harrow, or Willesden Junction.

Colin McKenzie

--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at
the population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as
walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.